Senate vote tests state women’s-sports protections

Absent further agreement, the Senate votes Monday on passage of S. 4668, the Protect College Sports Act¹. Executive Order 14201, signed February 5, 2025, directs federal agencies to read Title IX on the basis of sex and to rescind federal funds from educational programs that allow males to compete in women’s sports.

Family stakes

For families, a sex-based standard determines whether women’s sports remain a distinct opportunity for female athletes. The order makes federal funding one lever for enforcing that principle².

Bill and its critics

The Senate agreed to proceed to S. 4668 on September 17. The motion passed³ 77–22³, and Sen. Moran (R-Kan.) did not vote³. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) sponsor the bill⁴. The text read into the Congressional Record that day includes a section titled “Protection of women’s sports and Olympic sports.”⁵ Even so, Alliance Defending Freedom warns the bill could override state laws keeping men off women’s teams⁴. The Commerce Committee’s updated text lists the eligibility subjects its state-law preemption covers: student status, academic requirements, professional-athlete status and years of eligibility⁶. ADF wants clarification on the bill’s effect on women’s sports⁴; AFPI says no further clarification is needed⁴.

• Cruz’s office⁴: “The bill explicitly protects girls’ sports and enhances the protections established under Title IX.”⁴
• America First Policy Institute Executive Vice President Ashley Hayek⁴: “The priority is simple: pass reform, protect Title IX opportunities, hold the NCAA accountable, and save college sports for the next generation.”⁴

On Monday, Sen. Booker will control the opponents’ half of the debate from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. The executive order, by contrast, names sex outright². The order also directs agencies on Title IX enforcement, athletic governing bodies, and visa policy for males seeking to enter women’s events².

State protections

The Assembly reported in 2025 that girls’-sports protection laws had passed in 26 states, and that Terry Schilling credited the American Principles Project with helping pass them⁷. Alliance Defending Freedom now counts 27 states with laws that prevent males from competing in women’s sportsThe College Fix reports that ADF fears the bill could override laws in 27 states that prevent males from competing in women’s sports⁴. ADF says those laws are on the line⁴. Parents should call their senators before Monday’s roll call on S. 4668¹ and ask whether the bill will preempt their state’s women’s-sports law.

Sources

1. Schedule for Monday, September 28, 2026 | The Senate Democratic Caucus
2. Federal Register, 90 FR 9279
3. U.S. Senate Roll Call Vote 236, 119th Congress, 2nd Session
4. Conservative groups split on if college sponsorship bill would allow for trans athletes
5. Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 147 (Thursday, September 17, 2026)
6. Committee Releases Updated Protect College Sports Act Bill Text
7. The Assembly (NC), profile of Terry Schilling, 2025